The invention relates to a shower pan for use in a shower stall. Such shower pans act as a base in the shower stall on which the user stands while showering, and includes a drain hole for allowing water to drain out of the shower stall.
While shower stalls may be any shape, many are rectangular, having three shower surface walls and a fourth side on which a shower stall door is mounted. An important concern is the prevention of water leakage from the shower stall into surrounding structures outside of the shower stall. In an attempt to prevent leakage, prior art shower pans have utilized a water dam extending upward from the base of the shower pan on all four sides. On the three sides supporting the shower surface walls, a ridge extends upward from the water dam, behind the shower surface walls. The shower door is mounted on the water dam on the remaining side, which does not include a ridge, presumably to allow for the shower door to open and close freely. However, such a configuration allows for water streaming through cracks in the door track on which the door is mounted to escape the shower pan and shower stall as there is no ridge or similar structure to stop the water. It is common for water on the shower door to flow down into the door track. Also, water flowing in between shower surface walls and the drywall behind it flows downward to the water dam, traveling to the front side of the water dam where it contacts the door track. Water seeping through crevices in the door track flows out of the shower stall and can damage surrounding wood structures. Adding sealant is time consuming and not completely effective in stopping leakage.
Therefore, there is a need for a shower pan that effectively stops water leakage from a shower stall, particularly the side of the stall in which the door is positioned. In an effort to overcome and eliminate the aforementioned problems, the present invention was conceived.